Several readers have asked me how I learned so much about so many athletic events, so I guess the best way to answer that is to just explain a little of my own history.

My father was deeply involved in sports all of his life. He was a football letterman at Colgate, then served as captain of the Colgate track team his senior year. He held the half-mile record at Colgate for several years, then went on to run for the New York Athletic Club after graduation.

He ran in the Melrose Games and in the National AAU Track Meet. Though not taking up golf until after he finished school, Dad went on to become a scratch golfer, winning several area-wide titles before moving from Knoxville to Natchez, then winning the Natchez City Championship two or three times.

My mother, though never athletic, became a real sports fan in Knoxville, following Tennessee football for years. The family was close friends with legendary Tennessee coach, General Robert Neyland, and I actually finished high school with the general’s oldest son.

My own football career was spotty, at best. My high school team played only one game my senior year, the remainder of the season being cancelled because of a polio epidemic.

I did letter in track that year, but did not pursue the sport after high school. College football did not see me advance beyond the junior varsity level, and it was not until my last year in the Air Force, at Keesler Air Force Base, that I became a regular on a varsity team. Though we had a mediocre team, it was fun to play against people I had read about, such as Zeke Bratkowski, Jim Dooley and Neil Worden.

One of the good things to come from that season was that it whetted my interest in the rules of football, which led to my becoming a football official.

That was a big part of my athletic life, as it led to the Southeastern Conference experiences, and allowed me to participate in the game of college football at the highest level.

And, that’s official.

Al Graning is a former SEC official and former Natchez resident. He can be reached by e-mail at AlanWard39157@aol.com.